Record Sportrevealed how Gerrard had targeted former Liverpool team-mate Martin Skrtel as a big- name addition to his ranks as soon as he accepted the job. That prospect looks to be diminishing with Fenerbahce likely to price the Ibrox men out of a move for the 33-year-old Slovakia international.

But Gerrard has a plan B. And it appears to be Brighton stopper Connor Goldson who is next on his summer wishlist.

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His towering presence in the heart of defence made him a stand-in captain and he soon caught the attention of clubs higher up the English League echelons, especially after being named player of the year in 2014/15. Brighton made their move in August 2015.

Later that year, in December, Goldson was allegedly the victim of racist abuse from fans as he sat in the stands watching his side in a Championship draw with Derby at Pride Park.

A week later Goldson made his debut for Brighton. But in February 2017 the player's career stalled when a routine screening showed a heart defect - an potentially fatal enlarged aorta - for which he underwent surgery. That sidelined the player for the remainder of the season.

Goldson made a stunning return to top-team action 10 months later - last December - and went on to make 10 appearances for the Seagulls in the season just finished.

How serious was the heart problem?

Connor Goldson of Brighton (Image: Getty Images Europe)

Incredibly serious. The 25-year-old had a preventative op on the swollen aorta, without which he could have died on the pitch.

Goldson wrote on social media at the time: “Football has always been my life but at 24 this has put my life into perspective.

“I know I’m strong enough to recover and determined to be back on a football pitch where I’m happiest.”

The operation was an overwhelming success to the point Goldson was back in action within 10 months.

Connor Goldson of Brighton & Hove Albion (Image: Getty)

After his op, Goldson called for football clubs to increase cardiac screening.

“It’s massively important, because you never know what can happen," he said.

“We put ourselves and our bodies through such hard work every day, we test ourselves every day to try to get better and better and you never know what’s going on internally.

“There are people that have been a lot more unfortunate than me.

"But if my story can make other people or other clubs think that they need to do more testing – even if it’s every year or every two years – then hopefully it can make a little change and save other people.”

So what does Goldson offer on the park?

The first obvious characteristic is the player's presence. At 6ft 3in he can handle himself in the box and that's what Rangers are looking for in terms of shoring up their soft touch backline which conceded 50 league goals last season - more than any other top-six side and twice as many as champions Celtic.

Goldson is most natural in the centre of defence but has also been utilised at right back and even in the holding role in midfield.

Connor Goldson is commanding in the air (Image: AFP)

He's not blessed with stand-out pace. Physicality and no-nonsense defending are his main attributes. Former boss Micky Mellon praised his leadership qualities and burning desire to succeed as he made him stand-in captain at Shrewsbury four years ago.

Mellon said of the then 21-year-old: "He approaches every day's training as if it's the most important day's training of his life.

"Wearing the armband inspires him and we felt we could get a wee bit more out of him with that extra responsibility."